Hemmerle Jewels Fetch $1.4M at Sotheby’s Auction
It marked the largest single-owner collection of jewels from the storied German jeweler.
“A Vision: Property from the Collection of Michelle Smith,” garnered $1.4 million for the Hemmerle collection, far exceeding its pre-sale estimate of $823,000, with 90 percent of lots selling above their high estimates.
The 19-piece collection belonged to the late philanthropist and art patron Michelle Smith.
She was the daughter of the renowned businessman, real estate developer, and philanthropist Robert Smith and artist Clarice Smith.
A businesswoman in her own right, Smith served as the vice president of product design and development for Charles E. Smith Residential Realty and its successor, Archstone-Smith.
“Michelle Smith’s vision is epitomized in her jewelry collection, telling the story of a woman who, when she decided she liked a certain style or maker, explored and collected in depth,” said Sotheby’s.
The standout was a pair of copper and diamond ear studs, featuring two old European-cut diamonds weighing 8.81 and 8.80 carats. The pair sold for $201,600, surpassing its $100,000 to $150,000 estimate.
A bronze and colored diamond ring, set with an 8.05-carat, cushion-cut, light yellowish brown diamond sold for $176,400, more than double its pre-sale estimate
Hemmerle has been known to craft jewelry from out-of-the-ordinary materials, including iron and antique artifacts.
One such piece, an aluminum and fancy deep brownish greenish yellow diamond ring, sold for $151,200, soaring past the $35,000 to $45,000 estimate.
A bronze and fossilized sea urchin necklace sold for $32,760, more than double the low-end of its $15,000 to $25,000 estimate.
A brass, wood, peridot, and tourmaline cuff bracelet sold for $60,480, just above the high-end of its $40,000 to $60,000 estimate.
It’s the largest private collection of jewels from the German jeweler seen at auction since a 2019 Sotheby’s auction.
Hemmerle was founded in 1893 in Munich by brothers Joseph and Anton Hemmerle.
Alongside Hemmerle, “A Vision: Property from the Collection of Michelle Smith” also featured lots from Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, Bulgari, Suzanne Belperron, René Boivin, and Graff.
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